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Last Suspect In 1995 Sarin Attack Arrested In Tokyo

Katsuya Takahashi, the last fugitive connected to the 1995 sarin attack on Tokyo's subway system, after his arrest today.
Jiji Press
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AFP/Getty Images
Katsuya Takahashi, the last fugitive connected to the 1995 sarin attack on Tokyo's subway system, after his arrest today.

"Tokyo police have arrested the last fugitive member of the Aum Shinrikyo cult, Katsuya Takahashi, who was on the run for 17 years," NHK WORLD reports.

The 54-year-old suspect was taken into custody today in Tokyo. As NHK says, "Takahashi was wanted in connection with the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system in March, 1995 and other Aum-related crimes. He allegedly helped one of the perpetrators flee after the attack."

The nerve gas attack "killed 13 people and injured about 6,000 in 1995, shattering Japan's long-held sense of safety," The Associated Press notes.

According to The Japan Times, "the search for Takahashi ... has been the subject of huge attention, as his testimony could lead to fresh revelations about the cult's crimes. Aum founder Shoko Asahara and 12 of his followers are now on death row for their involvement in the gas attack."

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Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.